Friday, May 7, 2010

What can be accomplished when one is unemployed

After I was fired last year, before the bakery job, I had a LOT of time to knit. And, fortunately, I had a lot of offers to design for publications. Finally, I can show you two sweaters I designed and knit during that period... I believe I did both of them, patterns and all, in about a month. Without further ado, two designs from the just-published book Circular Knitting Redefined:

First, the "Jacob's Ladder" pullover, a standard round neck sweater knit from the bottom up. I knit the sample in Terra from The Fibre Company, which was a treat. I was thrilled that the editor of the book let me use both the yarns and colors in which I submitted my designs (or very close substitutes).

Next up is the "Bohemian Rhapsody" jacket (not my name! Not the name I would have chosen! However, it makes me hum or sing a little of the Queen song every time I think about it... "he's just a poor boy from a poor family..."). An intermediate-level piece, this is the first in a series of sweaters I've designed and continue to design modeled after a man's suit jacket. Again, I got to use the very colors I desired, and I'm really proud of the result. For those of you interested in the design process, here's the sketch for my submission for this jacket. Note the unrefined sketching techniques:

Aside from the fact that it contains my patterns, I highly recommend the book. There are over 40 designs, the photos (as you can see) are SO clear, timeless, and styled to show off the garment (there are several detail photos for each piece that are also extremely well done). The schematics are awesome as well.

In other news, I have a New Job. A NEW new job. I start Monday. Tonight is my last shift at the bakery I've come to call "The Gulag"... 10 pm to 8 am tomorrow... so I have to go rest up. More soon!

Wow, congratulations! They're both great, but I like the yoked pullover in particular, it has nice interest in the yoke and a timeless look. I think Freddie Mercury could have that blazer with some chest hair fluffing out and a shrunken look.